Tebow circus won't be an issue on the Patriots' Way

We know this because Paul Revere went on a midnight Internet run, warning on Twitter of his march toward Foxborough. Or because ESPN talked about it for several hundred minutes.

Few athletes have had such a hold on the public as Tebow, to be signed by the New England Patriots to compete as a third-string quarterback. He must make the team, which is hardly a certainty. For several months, it appeared that Tebow's NFL career was over, his 2011 starburst season with the Broncos existing like the "Macarena" on a VH1 special of one-hit wonders. He could go to Canada to play. Or he could retire from football and go to the broadcast booth.

That he's on the sideline again, at least for training camp, makes complete sense for one reason: It's the Patriots. They are the one team where this move can be rationalized on nearly every level.

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With apologies to the founding fathers, this didn't happen because of a democracy. Bill Belichick gets the only vote that matters. The coach with three rings, regardless of his recent Super Bowl losses to the New York Giants, is considered a genius. This reputation wasn't carved through his news conferences, which are about as awkward and halting as a first date and as enjoyable as a tinfoil sandwich.

Funny thing is, that's one of the reasons this can work.

Belichick doesn't care for the media. He is the master of minimizing distractions. There won't be weekly Tim Tebow news conferences in New England. Any hint of that and Tim Tebow won't be in New England. Malcontents, media circuses and polarizing forces either fall in line or fall away like so many leaves on the roads leading to the stadium. Tebow, ESPN reported, was told that as a condition of his agreement he needed to keep a low profile this offseason. So, his absence from the headlines in recent months speaks to the power of the Patriots' Way.

And this isn't New York. Or more specifically, the New York Jets. Unlike Mark Sanchez, who feels threatened by sideline ballboys, Tom Brady is strong enough to handle Tebow's presence. It's not going to be an issue, because the Patriots won't make it one. Tebow isn't taking snaps from the future Hall of Famer. He'll be lucky to steal a few quotes in a passing conversation. Belichick controls what his players say. His intentionally dull, boring style shows up in his players' quotes.

When examining the merits of this decision, let's not forget Josh McDaniels' presence. The former Broncos coach believed in Tebow enough to trade up to draft him. McDaniels never started him, so he wasn't behind the quarterback's capturing of the nation's attention in 2011. But McDaniels wanted him enough to overpay in salary, preventing the Patriots from selecting the quarterback in the second round (that was certainly one of the rumors on draft day). While comically overmatched as the Broncos' boss, McDaniels has enjoyed success as a coordinator and will embrace the challenge of working with Tebow. It's the equivalent of a pitching coach trying to salvage a pitcher's career with a mechanical overhaul.

The final reason that Tebow is a Patriot drips with irony. Think back to his Broncos career, and criticism of his play was rooted in practice. He's not a practice player. His football brilliance is rooted in improvisation, something that never happens in the controlled workout bubble.

So where will Tebow's greatest value be to the Patriots? Practice, of course. Belichick has made a career of staying a few strides ahead of his competition, whether it's in his creative use of players such as Troy Brown or maximizing the potential of a Tedy Bruschi. The zone-read option is becoming increasingly popular in the NFL. Who better to run it in practice than Tebow? Brady and backup Ryan Mallett aren't mobile. Tebow can provide the Pats' defense with a realistic test.

And, there's still a chance Tebow will actually get on the field. He's not taking snaps away from Brady. But an extra-point isn't technically a play, is it? Tebow going for a two-point conversion is a rational argument. He can run. He can jump-pass. And if he's successful 75 percent of the time, it's a good gamble.

Tebow is back in the league. He is too much too handle for most teams, too little of a quarterback for others. For the Patriots, this fits.